Metal bonded abrasive tools for honing bores in workparts are known in the art. For example, a metal bonded diamond tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,141 issued July 20, 1971 to Houston et al. The tool is described as including a backing element made of iron and bronze (copper-tin) sintered powder and a stone element thereon. The stone element comprises a bond or matrix alloy which is a sintered mixture of cobalt and tungsten carbide powders with other refractory carbides such as titanium carbide, chromium carbide, tantalum carbide or vanadium carbide optionally present and further comprises diamond grits held in the bond alloy. The ratio of carbide to cobalt in the bond alloy is varied from 20 weight percent to 90 weight percent inversely with cobalt from 80 weight percent to 10 weight percent in the bond alloy. The honing tool is subjected to a two stage sintering treatment such that the bronze component of the backing element is caused to liquify and infiltrate the matrix of the stone element. Upon cooling, the bronze infiltrant solidifies in the matrix of cobalt and tungsten and other carbides, occupying about 30% of the volume of the stone element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,872 issued Mar. 6, 1979 to Conradi also describes a metal bonded abrasive tool which comprises a bonding matrix of sintered borided cobalt powder with optional fillers such as tungsten carbide, and diamond or cubic boron nitride abrasive particles held in the bonding matrix. The cobalt powder and abrasive particles are sintered together with the boriding of the cobalt being conducted prior to or during the sintering treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,682 issued Feb. 24, 1970 to Quaas et al. describes a flame sprayable alloy composition for producing cutting and/or wear surfaces on substrates. The flame sprayable composition includes a matrix system of nickel, cobalt or copper base and diamond abrasive bort entrapped in the matrix as the composition is sprayed on the substrate. Refractory carbides such as tungsten, titanium, chromium, zirconium and molybdenum carbides may be mixed with the diamond bort in an amount of 1 to 50 percent by weight. The matrix system must melt below 2400.degree. F. and to this end nickel base alloys, cobalt base alloys and copper base alloys of the copper-silicon and copper-tin type are employed.
Other abrasive tools or articles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,649 issued Aug. 3, 1971 to Olivieri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,035 issued Dec. 29, 1981 to Danilova et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,490 issued Jan. 19, 1982 to Bovenkerk et al. Methods for producing abrasive articles or individual abrasive grains are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,981 issued June 24, 1968 to Strauss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,938 issued Jan. 15, 1974 to Sam, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,675 issued May 24, 1977 to Vladimicrovich et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,853 issued Jan. 22, 1980 to Otopkvov et al.